#57 - Spiders and Dragons

Excerpt from the Cypher's Codex: The Scrawlings of a Warforged Scholar

We were about to be overrun by a contingent of overly large spiders and humanoids with distinct arachnoid features. In addition, maneuvering single-file on the lower ledge of the precipice was tactically disadvantageous for the more martial fighters in the group. Once I noticed the ambush I immediately set up an arcane springboard to propel the party up onto the wide opening in front of the dragon’s cave. Most of the party was able to navigate the springboard without incident. Aleae proved too weak to make it all the way to the safety of the ridge but her eladrin agility allowed her to grasp the wall of the cliff a few feet below the top. She was quickly overtaken by a spidery foe who could walk on walls and remained in place against the wall for the remainder of combat. Fortunately, her chaotic magic does not require firm footing, as she remained a participant throughout the battle.

Ettercaps: shepherds of
not-so-innocuous spiders 

Rendar, however, never even made it to my springboard before its arcane energy was exhausted. Unwilling to release the unconscious elf woman they had rescued from the webs, he stayed below to fight off the numerous foes. It was an incorrect move, however, as the elf turned out to be the illusionary form of the dryad that inhabited the (diseased-looking) tree above.

She disappeared from his grasp just as he was overrun by the enemies. Ettercaps, spidery humanoid monsters of an unknown origin to me, quickly pinioned Rendar with sticky webbing and it took all of his strength to simply remain active. He was not my concern, however, as the battle on the dragon’s cave opening commenced.

As we were attacked from three sides by spiders and ettercaps, an unseen druidic magic user ensnared the party with instant organic growth. I did not attempt to break free at first, choosing instead to expend as much artifice as I could early in the battle to help my companions. 

The true form of a dryad
is plant-like and alien

Just as I was about to infuse Magnus’s weapon with fire energy, the dryad revealed herself to me and provided unexpected strategic aid. She pointed out several weapons protruding from the chest of treasure that, which was sent in fealty to the green dragon Sorethyress by the valiant Brelish agents a year earlier. The dryad told me that they could help in the battle and that it was safe for me to use them. I ordered Rungo to break me free of the entangling vines holding me in place and ran forth to retrieve the weapons. As I opened it, a powerful blast of untethered magical energy was released from the wooden chest. I realized instantly that I had set off a trap of considerable potency. With the practiced skill of years of artifice training, I channeled all of my life force into containing the blast. It took me several seconds to dissipate the energy, whilst which I was unable to contribute to the battle, but no one else was harmed. 

We managed to disable or fend off the remaining attackers with fire and weapon, and lend aid to Rendar down below. Aleae fought her side of the battle almost entirely from the side of the cliff wall, clasped in vines but managing to expel her sorcery. Clarion used tones of sonic magic to frighten or otherwise ward away some of our foes, and for reasons not yet explained, Rendar was given the capability of defying gravity and walking up the walls with his hands free. With the battle concluded, the pseudodragon Matheu soon vanished again.

I explored the portcullis blocking the entrance to the dragon’s cave while the rest of the party repaired themselves, noting that nothing would open it aside from the control mechanism which we could not find. Instead, we chose to explore the cave opening underneath the waterfall. 

I remained above ground last, carefully lowering Rungo down to the cave in a harness when the dryad appeared before me again with a grave warning. She told me with great clarity that we were not to return there or face grave danger again. She was almost apologetic in her tone and I probed her as to her purpose in orchestrating an attack against us. She said that the “intruder dragon” had forced her to cooperate with the spiders to protect the cave’s opening. When I pressed, she confirmed that the dragon she spoke of was not in fact Sorethyress, but then she vanished from my sight. I wasted no time in climbing down to the cave opening. 

 Aleae was most distressed that I did not make use of a rope harness but I told her that I had calculated my climbing abilities to be sufficient to take the risk of falling compared to the risk of perturbing the tree spirit further.

Inside the cave we encountered a green dragon. An actual full-sized, although its body was no longer than fifteen feet from snout to tail. I had much knowledge of dragons, of course, from my various studies. One can not touch upon the academic study of magic without learning of dragons, not to mention all histories of Eberron begin far enough back in the Age of Dragons. This dragon was not Sorethyress, however, and in fact seemed to have no interest in speaking to me, even in its native tongue. I do not think I have ever seen Magnus appear as excited as he was then. The dragon expelled a cloud of poisonous gas in front of us as a warning, and this prospect of quick death did not seem to dampen the Seren's mood.

Magnus and Aleae were able to converse with the mighty beast, who turned out to be just a child in dragon terms, and he showed us his sister, a nearly identical green dragon lying nearly lifeless on the ground of the cave completely circumscribed by an arcane circle. The dragon took the Brelish ruby that was supposed to prove our providence but would not accept our allegiance as truth. 

Instead he demanded we prove our honesty by saving his sister. The logic of this escaped me, although green dragons are known to prefer riddle over force. I went to inspect the ailing dragon and the arcane markings but was rebuffed by the brother. My attempts at diplomacy failed me but Aleae was able to convince the draconic beast that I was his best chance of saving the female dragon. He acquiesced, but only allowed Aleae and myself to stay, hissing at the rest of the party to return to the mouth of the cave "...or die." When they had acquiesced, the young dragon clasped Aleae and forced her against the cave wall in his claws. He spoke to me to heal his sister or the eladrin would die.

I only hope that Aleae’s proclaimed faith in my abilities proves to be true. Not even a warforged’s resilient alchemical makeup can survive the disabling toxins of a green dragon’s poison. The eladrin would likely succumb even quicker.